After working for several helicopter manufacturers, including Cessna (yes, Cessna did sell a helicopter — the Skyhook), Bell and Hughes, Frank Robinson saw an opportunity to launch his own light design. After six years of development, Robinson Helicopters introduced the R22, which received FAA certification in 1979. With a reasonable purchase price and low operating cost, the two-seat, two-blade design became a huge success, enabling Robinson to expand his company’s product offering. Thirty-two years after the R22 was introduced, more than 10,000 Robinson helicopters have been delivered out of the ever-expanding factory in Torrance, California.